This Sunday: Izzy's Flavor Awards

One of my favorite things about the Twin Cities is the local ice cream scene. Who would think that one of the coldest states would specialize in the coldest treats?

Of all the options, one of my family's favorite spots is Izzy's Ice Cream in St. Paul. This Sunday, June 16, they're having their popular People's Flavor Awards, which takes place every other summer.

Earlier this year, Izzy's asked for submissions from customers for ice cream flavors in six categories: Kids, Chocolate, Mix-ins, Fruit, So Local, and Specialties. In the past, they got about 125 entries a year; this year there were 450! From these, they selected the most promising recipes, and have been working hard to create them in their kitchen. The flavors are a secret until the event, but Izzy's kitchen manager, Shannon, did have a few tantalizing hints:

"You might find some of your favorite breakfast treats, and we're playing around with some new spices you may have never tried in ice cream before. Making each flavor can take anywhere between 30 minutes to 6 hours! We make every flavor to win. It's our way of celebrating ice cream, treating our customers, and having a wonderful day of tasting within our dessert-loving community."

This Sunday, customers will taste, then vote. Ballots are counted, four finalists are chosen, and from these is awarded a BEST IN SHOW! Previous winners have been Mango Django, Pomegranate Pizzazz, Hot Brown Sugar, Sponge Bob, Irish Moxie, Italian Strawberry, Mexican Chocolate Fiesta, and my personal favorite, Midnight Snack, which is graham-cracker ice cream with peanut butter swirls and chocolate chunks.

The People’s Flavor Tasting Event is on Fathers Day, June 16, from 1–4:30 pm. Tickets can be purchased online or in the shop. If advance tickets sell out, there will be some tickets sold at the door for each tasting time the day of the event.

If you can't make the event, keep an eye on the Flavor Up feature on Izzy's website. Using RFID technology, they update their flavors every three minutes, so you can always know what's in the case. If you're even more obsessive (cough, cough, like me) you can sign up for flavor notification, and they'll send you an email when your favorite flavor goes into the case. Even with advance notice, though, the popular flavors go fast. To ensure you get your favorite flavor, call ahead and reserve a hand-scooped pint.

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